To the Letter
by Parabola Beam
Summary: The ticking of the clock is louder when you struggle. Cantarella, with a Neru/Haku twist, contains drugging and lemon.


**To the Letter**

"It's truly a pleasure to see you again. I must confess that...I have missed you terribly."

"Me too, definitely." Neru nibbled a cookie thoughtfully. She worried that being out of the country so long had driven a rift between herself and her good friend. Haku seemed more fretful than usual, her speech much more formal than the both of them were used to. But Neru wouldn't deny that she felt an inkling of warmth inside her to see her so nervous.

"Did...you get my letters?" Haku asked, Neru noticing the glimmer of hopefulness lacing her voice.

"Oh yes!" Neru laughed, reaching into the front of her dress to retrieve one, "And it was so mean of you, you know I haven't much room to put them."

Haku blushed deeply. "I-I didn't expect you'd keep them there."

"You got my love letters too didn't you?" Haku flushed even darker.

"Wh-What? I sent you nothing of the sort, I was simply wanting to stay in touch..." She smiled and stopped rambling, perhaps reasoning out that Neru had been teasing her, "...but yes," she giggled, reaching into the front of her dress as well, withdrawing one, "I kept them all safe."

"Ohhh wow. Where are all the others?"

"I kept them all under my pillow, Neru. I didn't want to lose them-"

"Not mine, silly. I'm sure you get letters from admirers all the time." Neru circled the rim of her teacup with a fingertip, trying not to look too interested. "You...just keep mine closest?"

"W-Well..." Haku stammered, looking to the side absently, "...your letters are...by far the most...decent."

Ah, of course. Neru had not forgotten many the lovesick-or rather, simply sick-fools that had made indecent advances on her friend. And she'd made sure those individuals had not forgotten her.

"Of course. I just needed to check in with you and make sure nothing eventful happened while I was gone." Haku smiled warmly, but still appeared rather tense.

"Yes..." Now it was Haku's turn to fidget with her teacup. "It's nice of you to keep my letters close too, when you could be saving the space for some handsome young man."

Neru, who had moved the teacup halfway towards her lips, set it down with a wry laugh. "Oh Haku please. You know I never get any letters from any boys. And I never will, if they have half a mind in their heads." She took a long sip to distract herself and set the cup back down. She licked her lips as inconspicuously as possible. They'd had tea together many many times, but...maybe it was her imagination. Perhaps it tasted differently because she'd been abroad so long. It warmed the roof of her mouth and the back of her throat pleasantly.

"Y-You say that now, but-" Haku looked reproachful, "-but I'm sure someday some dashing fellow will woo you and take you from me."

Neru could tell she'd meant it to sound humorous, but she knew Haku, and she definitely sensed some genuine worry that gave her pulse a gentle shock. The silence between them stretched a few moments, accentuating the heavy tick of the grandfather clock. The more it went on, the more it felt like Neru was slipping out of herself. A somewhat familiar warmth permeated her along her spine, up into the back of her head. Her gaze drifted all over: the tea, the cookies, the pendulum in the clock, no, that made her sleepy, the cookies again, the letter between Haku's fingers, Haku's teeth sinking into her plush bottom lip-

Why couldn't she keep her eyes open? If she'd drawn her corset too tightly wouldn't she have noticed? She slumped over the table with a breathy swoon and let her heavy lids droop shut.

She thought she was having some sort of bad dream until she was lifted from her chair like a bride, head lolling over Haku's velvet sleeve with the weight of her hair. Her legs dangled helplessly over her other arm, and Neru had an idea they were moving somewhere. She knew she should feel safe in Haku's arms, but there was something about her haste and the tight grip of her long fingers that at once unnerved and thrilled her.

Neru thought it curious that Haku had not made a sound to call for help upon her collapse. She might've thought she wasn't hearing well, could she not hear the light scurry of Haku's slippers on the marble flooring. The sound disappeared, and shortly after, she was lain on something soft. Neru had never felt so heavy. The cool satin sheets made her skin feel chilly, and it scared her: she couldn't move at all. She wasn't even sure of her heartbeat, and she'd never felt so uncannily still in her life.

There was a weight on the bed beside her, and most of what little light reached her eyes was snuffed out with the barely detectable rustling of thick curtains being drawn. Everything felt dark and fuzzy to her, and she was beginning to doubt she was alive until a slender hand cradled her cheek tentatively. A familiar silhouette was leaning closer and closer; she strained her eyes as hard as she could and saw Haku's face, paler than milk, in sharp contrast to the heavy lashes obscuring her view. Her eyes were truly beautiful, bleeding saccharine wine red in color, unparalleled in their intoxication this close.

The intensity took Neru aback as she suddenly pieced together what was happening. She wouldn't have believed it if Haku hadn't run her hand down the front of her modest body, lips pressing deeply against hers. A desperate warmth ached inside Neru as she lay motionless under her. She'd many times dreamed of doing such things with her, to her. More than anything she'd ever wanted in her life was something she'd had not a few minutes ago, the ability to move. She tried and tried but only succeeded in setting a furious tickling throughout her arms, as she imagined wrapping them around the woman on top of her and never letting go.

She could do nothing as Haku's fingers tangled themselves within the thin ribbons of her corset, slowly loosening everything. Her hands and mouth were tentative, almost innocently so. She undressed her with a frightened sort of excitement that made arousal bloom deep in her body. Ribbons and lace caressed her skin as they were plucked off little by little, leaving her almost completely exposed.

Never before had she felt so close and yet so far from Haku. Her soft, humid, blackberry tea breath flooded her senses as she ceased the kiss and hesitated before following the curve of her jaw with her mouth.

Haku's body was warm on hers, and she could feel every curve through the tight dress. Neru wanted to feel her closer still, to utterly drown in her fervent pleas with her and make her know how she felt for her, how she'd always had. Fingers ghosted down her stomach, faltering to the sides of her waist, her hips, back towards the modest peaks of her chest, not following through their intended course. The most she could do was shudder helplessly as her stiff nipples were thumbed over and pressed in.

Neru's body hurt with the pleasure: none of the tension could be released. It was numbingly intense, and then Haku's mouth was over her ear, moaning her name with complete need. Some sort of small explosion bubbled behind her eyes, a heavy shiver running through her swollen lips. She wanted to speak. Just this once she'd throw her dignity to the wind and beg and beg for it.

Her insides fluttered expectantly as Haku's mouth left her ear and she felt her hands on the fleshiest parts of her thighs, spreading them apart, and she thought she might perish on the spot with anticipation. Dextrous fingers undid her stocking suspenders, sliding one off, then the other, leaving her legs bare. Her hands lingered over the skin, roaming over the smooth surface, and cold nose, hot lips were pressing against the inner knee. One svelte, wet little tongue slid against her, wetting a path deeper and deeper towards her overexcited, ignored core. She paused curiously, and one devilish moment later her face pressed close through Neru's panties, a muffled, desirous moan vibrating through the fabric.

Ecstasy flooded her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. There was no way she could stand this for a prolonged time. Neru tried not to, but her mind betrayed her and assembled images of Haku leaning between her legs, worshipping her thighs and moving deeper-

She was going to die. But she couldn't stop filling in the blanks, and adding what she wanted to come. Agitated elation licked her insides like fire.

Haku pulled away abruptly with an ashamed squeal, leaving Neru yearning terribly. The desire was close to cresting, but now it was stagnantly overwhelming as it neither rose nor fell. There was a long moment where Haku was so still Neru had started wondering if she'd left, but then finally, she backtracked to her arms and peeled off her lacy gloves. Neru knew she was stalling, and it was infuriating: if she'd had the nerve to drug her, she needed to follow through. Haku lifted her hand, pressed a timid kiss to the inside of her wrist, and leaned her cheek into the palm. Neru could feel her tears rolling over the surface of her limp fingers.

She wept quietly, and it grew clear that she was completely torn. It flummoxed Neru to no end, especially since she herself was completely helpless to return the feelings when there was nothing she wanted more than to do-

Haku made a distressed sound and there was a flurry of movement around Neru as she leaned off to one side, and began fumbling desperately with something. There was a light _pop _of a stopper being yanked from its place and something surreally cool trickling between her lips, bringing everything back into focus so suddenly that her head throbbed horribly for a moment and she groaned loudly, fisting the sheets with her hands-

_She could move._

"I'm s-so sorry!" Haku is scrambling like mad as Neru orients herself again, "I-I've always-!" She shakes her head, tears flying from off her cheeks, "I was too scared to tell y-you!" She's frantically gathering Neru's clothes and piling them haphazardly beside her, all but wailing with remorse at this point, "A-And I thought you wouldn't be if you, you felt the same and-! It's unforgiv-" She's so distraught that the remainder of her ramblings are nigh unintelligible, but it doesn't matter because she's turning to run and _Neru can move-_

Neru bolts from the covers, clawing the pile of her clothes to the floor as she seizes Haku's waist from behind, tugging her back through the curtains of the four-poster bed and slamming her against the mattress, breathing heavily with adrenaline. Haku looks utterly bewildered as she crashes her lips against hers, swallowing her surprised moans and relishing the relieved, delighted reciprocation.

"You're not going anywhere," Neru gasped between long, languid kisses, "until you finish what you started."

"I don't want to go anywhere-" Haku slurs as Neru's hands fumble against her bodice, "-even after."

Neru purred loudly, pleased, into another kiss, breathless with rapture. The slickness between her legs beckoned for attention, and knowing that Haku would oblige her only deepened the need. It felt like she couldn't move fast enough to keep up with the immense cravings all throughout her body. She pushed up from the kiss, giving up on the bodice, and shifted her body around so she was over Haku's face, issuing a raspy whine to lick her.

Haku's response is everything she could wish for: her soft, ladylike hands leave her sides to pull her thighs down, wet lips kissing her where it counts. A powerful jolt furrows up Neru's spine as her tongue plunges into her tight, untouched womanhood, and so great was the shock that Neru may as well have still been drugged. Her hazy eyes settle on the panting body beneath her, the creamy expanse of her lily-white breasts, and she can't help but slide her hands down their front and cup them from within the heavy fabric of her dress.

"Nnheru-" Haku moans deeply into her as Neru begins manipulating her nipples with her fingertips, body arching and knees bending restlessly, her skirt bunching near her thighs in a most appealing way, "-mmhhff..."

That's when Neru sees it. A small, unaddressed envelope folded and tucked into Haku's garter. She reaches out and draws it from its hiding place, and Haku stiffens and makes a startled noise against her.

"W-Wait-" She gasps, "-N-Neru don't, it's embarrassing-" Her protests only serve to rouse her curiosity further. She unfolds the slip of paper and begins reading.

It's addressed to Haku, and is quite possibly the most vulgar letter she's ever laid eyes on. Neru was not one to consider herself prudish, by any means, but the contents are enough to make her blush with a mixture of arousal and indignation: she wanted to commit bloody, bloody murder towards whoever would have the gall to send such a dirty letter-

_Sincerely, Neru_

She stares at the last words on the page and blinks. There is no doubt in her mind that she'd remember sending this to Haku if she really had. And suddenly it occurs to her that this handwriting is so very familiar, the many, many times she'd seen, in particular, her name on every envelope inviting her to tea at the usual time-

The revelation is enough to push her over the edge right there, flooding Haku's earnest mouth as she seizes up with scorching passion. Knowing the origin of the letter is simply too much for her.

"You should've...told me." Neru rasps, smiling lopsidedly over her shoulder as she recovers, "I've wanted to do those exact things to you countless times."

"N-Neru..." Her voice is reproachful once more, but her expression is coy, playful, with a hint of embarrassment. "...that's scandalous."

"I would've sent it. And I believe tomorrow, I will. I'm afraid I have need of it right now, however." Neru's voice lilted playfully. "I need to make sure I get to everything on this list." She chuckled. "Well, everything else, that is. We've already done the first few, but it wouldn't hurt to do them over, to be thorough..."

She turned around, backing up and kneeling between Haku's legs, easing her knees up over her shoulders and smiling right at her before swirling her tongue in a sloppy, luscious spiral over her soft, slippery folds. In spite of the woman's thighs squeezing tightly over her ears, Haku's voice is crystal-clear as it escalates with the immense pleasure Neru knows she's bringing her-

Neru wrests her head free, sinking two digits within her amply wet insides: she wants to watch Haku's face. When they lock eyes, it's as if her body is clenching tighter, keeping Neru's fingers sheathed deep within her, faint twitches within galvanizing her not to pull them out if their lives depended on it. It's such a beautiful look for Haku, the rosen smattering across her cheeks, the way her lips part as she mewls so delicately even in the clutches of the most fervent rapture, and Neru cannot help but run her fingers through her hair and press her lips against hers once more, muting her ardent cries. Their tastes are blending together between them, and Neru kisses her so deeply, so blissfully that she is sure every feeling she's ever harbored for Haku is pouring out all at once.

It is a far cry from the sisterly kisses they'd traded in their youth, and even though she had barely even been moving her fingers, Haku reaches her peak quickly, helpless under the loving assault of Neru's mobile tongue probing her mouth. She absolutely relishes each and every sound she makes, most of all, Neru's own name on her lips, exhaustion evident in her voice.

"I hope I haven't worn you out already..." Neru nuzzles the pulse in her neck fondly, "...we still have so much left of the list to finish."

...

Haku waited and waited for the courier the following day, but Neru's letter was not amongst the mail. She supposed that would've been too brazen, even for Neru.

Not much later though, an unexpected visitor arrived.

"Neru?" Haku's eyes widened in surprise, a warm smile appearing on her face. They gave one another a chaste kiss on the cheek, observing the usual niceties while they were still in public. "I wasn't expecting you to come calling today," Haku rambled, a flush overtaking her cheeks, "but it is certainly not unwelcome. I thought you'd left for the night already."

"I have time before I'll be missed." They made their way down the ornate hall towards Haku's room. "In fact, time enough for exactly one cup of tea-" Neru's voice had softened enough for only her to hear, her tone sultry and demure, "-assuming it's not quite like the one you gave me last night." Her eyelashes hovered low over her mischievous amber eyes, and Haku felt her pulse quicken just a little.

"As...As much as I want you to stay," Haku stammered as they entered her room, "I wouldn't do such a thing again."

"I'm just teasing you." Neru smiled, withdrawing the letter from the folds of her dress and handing it to her. "And here. I wouldn't forget this."

Haku's cheeks glowed with delight as she took the letter. "Th-Thank you so much!" Remembering herself, she calmed down and looked aside. "I believe I shall place it under my pillow."

They enjoyed a pleasant interlude over a cup of their usual blend, chatting idly. Unfortunately, the time drew nearer for them to part; they took no notice for a while because the grandfather clock's pendulum had stalled.

"I...will miss you very much." Haku sighed sadly as Neru got up to depart.

"Aww, don't fret." Neru's arms encircled her shoulders, drawing her into a warm hug. "It's only for tonight." They stayed like that a few moments, Neru finally breaking the silence with an insidious hum. "It slipped my mind earlier, but..." She reached down the front of her dress, pulling out an envelope, "...I have one more letter for you." Before Haku could respond, she was pulled into a brief, soulful kiss, gasping softly as Neru slid the letter down the front of her dress.

"Keep this one close..." Neru murmured once it was snug between her breasts, "...I will be paying another visit tomorrow." She sealed her devilish promise with one more peck on the lips, bidding her farewell and quickly leaving for her aforementioned engagements.

Sometime later that evening, Haku pulled the letter from its hiding spot, opening it up from the privacy of her bedsheets. It was substantially shorter than her own letter, but she couldn't have been more pleased if it were an entire missive. She clutched it to her chest, treasuring it from the bottom of her heart.

It was only three words long.

**A/N: **Just another quickie fic! Cantarella is one of my favorite songs and I really wanted to do a Neru/Haku version. :3 It was interesting writing in a slightly different style to fit the setting, and love letters are always so romantic~. Anyway, thank you so much for reading, please feel free to leave a review! I greatly appreciate them!


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